Be that as it may, the Gospel of Luke tells us that there were women who went Jesus and names Mary Magdalene among them (Luke 8:1-3). In The Chosen, it is not entirely clear whether Mary Magdalene was engaging in prostitution before the events of Season 1, Episode 1. Episode 8 Guide: The Woman at the Well, Eden, & Zohara, Christmas with The Chosen: The Messengers, The Chosen Season 2 Controversy (Jesus, the Bible, & the Process of Inspiration), Should Nicodemus Kneel? Lilith here could just mean demon possessed. I offer my work for free and rely on the generous support of readers like you. Since I criticized Season 1 of The Chosen for making Mary too perfect, it's only fair that I acknowledge how Season 2 seeks to rectify that issue. I agree with the Twitter post that the show clearly depicts Mary as a victim of rape/sexual assault, but prostitutes often are victims of rape and sexual assault. (for LOTR: Tom Bombadil. Without getting too detailed, I found it helpful to get my youth thinking about what adaptations are and how they work. In the Bible, there is no indication that Mary Magdalene fell back into sin, backslid, or left Jesus. Due to COVID restrictions, my youth group watched The Chosen online using Zoom. The Chosen does the "misunderstood reject rather than sinner" quite a bit in Season 1, but I think it's a sensible direction for Mary's character. Many characters and stories are based on events in the Gospels, but there are also characters and events that the creators made up to tie things together. In the Bible, there is no indication that Mary Magdalene was raped. The Bible includes Mary Magdalene in a list of women who had evil spirits healed by Jesus. Her association with prostitution was a result of the proximity between the first mention of her in Luke (Luke 8:1-3) and a story about a prostitute (Luke 7:36-50). Because The Chosen seeks to be kid-friendly, it may use the term "Red Quarter" in order to hint to older viewers that Mary is either a prostitute or a sexually immoral woman without explicitly mentioning prostitution or sex. East pencil writes or draws used for note taking West pencil is yellow has a eraser and lead. (the Lord), Who is it that says these words in the show? This is Tom My 3 month old son is battling an extremely rare and [Free Friday] after an early miscarriage 3 weeks ago, I Our new campus chapel is so close to being ready! It's a great comfort in the midst of the pandemic and other turmoil. The assumption at that time was that women became prostitutes because they were inherently immoral and desirous. You may want to warn students beforehand that this episode contains some demonic activity. The specific demon is not named in Scripture. Mary Magdalene is never called Lili or Lilith in the Bible. LOTR, Harry Potter), In [adaptation], can you think of some characters or stories that were added by the film? That being said, there's no biblical reason to think that she could not have done so. I thought Mary's storyline in Season 2 of The Chosen had a lot of potential but it was unfortunately not given enough room to breathe. The Chosen introduces a lot of characters and expects us to just keep up. And the parallels don't end there. Jesus heals her evil spirit(s) at the end of Episode 1. Can you think of moments when you may need to be reminded that God is with you? This is not a theologian or an apologist. . Yes, there are plenty of women who show up in the Gospels. There you go! In my opinion it works. (Jesus), What about Jesus' identity does this hint at? Luke notes that Mary had seven spirits exorcised from her, but the other women experienced miraculous healing as well. The creators of The Chosen probably chose this name because it is associated with demons in Jewish traditions. [SPOILERS] what is Jordan Peele's 'Nope' about? We need to remember the perspective is of east and west are different East is how it performs, what it does its function West they would describe what it is or made of. The Bible never mentions "the Red Quarter." So you have to watch past the first couple episodes to get to the good ones. Why do you think the creators added them? The Chosen isn't trying to mess with the Bible. PROUDLY CREATED WITH WIX.COM, Mary Magdalene, Lilith, & the Redeemer (Exploring The Chosen with Youth), Elizabeth Tabish as Lilith/Mary Magdalene in The Chosen, Over the past year, we've been exploring how The Chosen adapts biblical characters like, You may want to warn students beforehand that this episode contains some demonic activity. FYI: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. According to the Gospel accounts, Jesus cleansed her of seven demons, and she financially aided him in Galilee. How does that truth encourage you? When Nicodemus encounters her, we discover that the evil spirit that is possessing her is named Lilith. /r/Catholicism is a place to present new developments in the world of Catholicism, discuss theological teachings of the Catholic Church, provide an avenue for reasonable dialogue amongst people of all beliefs, and grow in our own spirituality. The second passage is the Scripture that Mary has written down: This passage that Mary's father taught her is from the Book of Isaiah. This comes out powerfully in the first Episode like to show you why is mary magdalene called lilith in the chosen here. Why do you think The Chosen depicted Mary as a prostitute? Dallas mentioned how some viewers didn't like that Mary fell back into old ways, which seems ridiculous, but just goes to show how out of touch some people are with both real life and how stories work. The Bible includes Mary Magdalene in a list of women who had evil spirits healed by Jesus. [SPOILERS] Is the Jon Snow spin-off really such a good idea? Yes, we see that Jesus had warm and empowering relationships with females. An adaptation like The Chosen isn't meant to replace the Bible; it's meant to drive us deeper into the Bible and spiritual reflection. But why does Mary Magdalene get all the attention and not Joanna or Susanna, who are also mentioned? She is clearly sleeping with a man out of wedlock when the episode begins and they are sleeping together in "the Red Quarter" - a sleazy part of town. In The Chosen, Nicodemus meets Mary Magdalene in Season 1, Episode 1. There was just a hint of judgment in, Mary Magdalene was a female disciple who traveled with Jesus during his ministry (, All four Gospels suggest Mary was the first witness of the resurrected Jesus (, The Bible includes Mary Magdalene in a list of women who had evil spirits healed by Jesus. However, In the Bible, there is no indication that Mary Magdalene fell back into sin, backslid, or left Jesus. I've condensed the lesson into an easily printable pdf below. Mary Magdalene was a female disciple who traveled with Jesus during his ministry (Luke 8:1-3). Jesus is said to have cast seven evil spirits out of her (, As I noted above, in the Bible there is no indication that Mary Magdalene was a prostitute. Mary Magdalene is never called Lili or Lilith in the Bible. They prompt us to consider how these two events, Mary's first encounter with Jesus and her first encounter with the risen Jesus, are connected in a deeper way. Episode 8 Guide: The Woman at the Well, Eden, & Zohara, Christmas with The Chosen: The Messengers, The Chosen Season 2 Controversy (Jesus, the Bible, & the Process of Inspiration), Should Nicodemus Kneel? Initially Mary doesn't recognize Jesus. Matthew, Mark, and John also describe Mary as a witness of Jesus' crucifixion/burial (Matthew 27:55-61, Mark 15:40-47, and John 19:25). Narrative Ambiguity & Charitable Reading, The Chosen: 6 Good Friday & Easter Episodes, The Rings of Power, LOTR, and Bible Adaptation, Amazon Prime's The Rings of Power & The Challenges of Biblical Adaptation, In Defense of The Chosen and Other Christian Movies, Books, & Media (Part 1), In Defense of The Chosen and Other Christian Movies, Books, & Media (Part 2), Imagining Mary Magdalene (5 More Bible Adaptations While You Wait for The Chosen Season 2), The Chosen Season 3 Episode 6: Recap, Review, & Analysis, Intensity in Tent City (Exploring The Chosen Season 3 Episode 6 with Youth or Small Group), The Chosen Season 3 Episode 5: Recap, Review, & Analysis, Clean Part 2 (Exploring The Chosen Season 3 Episode 5 with Youth or Small Group), The Chosen Season 3 Episode 4: Recap, Review, & Analysis, Clean Part 1 (Exploring The Chosen Season 3 Episode 4 with Youth or Small Group), The Chosen Season 3 Episode 3: Recap, Review, & Analysis, Physician, Heal Thyself (Exploring The Chosen Season 3 Episode 3 with Youth or Small Group), Two by Two (Exploring The Chosen Season 3 Episode 2 with Youth or Small Group), Little James in The Chosen & Scripture (Adapting Biblical Characters), Homecoming (Exploring The Chosen Season 3 Episode 1 with Youth or Small Group), John the Baptist in The Chosen (Adapting Biblical Characters), Lilith, Demons, & Evil Spirits in The Chosen (Adapting Biblical Characters), 2022 BY THE BIBLE ARTIST. After Jesus heals her evil spirit, she resumes calling herself "Mary," her birth name, and refuses to answer to the name associated with her spiritual oppression. And we also just had fun chatting about random stuff, like how Quintus was totally fitting the stereotype of the evil bald guy. I found that my youth struggled to sort out the different characters, so you might want to do a quick slide show of the key characters using the character images I've included throughout this post. However, some scholars believe the word would be better translated as demoness and see it is a reference to a Mesopotamian spiritual being. Interestingly, The King of Kings (1927) also uses Mary Magdalene to introduce us to Jesus for the first time. Episode 7 Guide: Did Nicodemus Follow Jesus? I admire your comment. However, Jesus knew her real name. What do you think Mary's life was like before Jesus showed up? Having offered some criticism, I will say that the scene of Jesus forgiving Mary was moving. Im not a person who cries during Jesus movies, but Ive cried several times during this series, because you can just feel the humanity of the scenes and everything is ten times more relatable. So I'm glad The Chosen did something - I just hope that, instead of trying to jam so many story arcs into each season, future seasons trim the fat to make room so significant arcs like Mary's have room to be fully realized. When making the Chosen, he is advised by a Catholic Priest, Rabbi, and Evangelical Pastor. Season 2 Reflection P2: What was The Chosen Season 2 about? Everything is very true to the Gospels, and theres no dialogue written to score theological points. She was a witness of Jesus' crucifixion and burial (Mark 15:40-47) and also the first person to discover the empty tomb, witness the resurrected Jesus, and share the good news with the disciples (John 20:1-18). New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. When Nicodemus encounters her, we discover that the evil spirit that is possessing her is named Lilith. Unfortunately, because Mary's change happens so quickly, her character goes from being pretty dynamic in episodes 1-2 to being a pretty flat in the remainder of the season. And to be fair, there isnt a whole lot of backstory for any of the disciples in the Bible, so its not a surprise the writers filled in the blanks with some artistic license. every time a new character showed up. For the most part, I just clarified who characters were (see my comment above) and occasionally I briefly explained a reference or allusion that was confusing to my youth. (he is God). Mary Magdalene is never called Lili or Lilith in the Bible. Although there's nothing in the Gospels that suggests that these two figures should be linked together, Mary mistakenly became identified with the forgiven prostitute in the interpretative tradition of the Western Church. (he calls her by her name), How does this connect to what happened in episode 1? In the Bible, there is no indication that Mary Magdalene was raped. Click here for my affiliation policy. I can appreciate what theyre trying to do with the show: Theyre taking their time to build your relationship with the characters and to delve into some of the backstory so that everyone becomes a three-dimensional person, not just a mumbling zombie foil for Jesus. Later Jewish tradition described a demonic figure known as Lilith in a variety of ways. Although we'll have to wait in order to understand fully what the show wants us to conclude, this could be a subtle and effective way to show how Jesus' ability to heal and save is ultimately grounded in his willingness to die and rise again. I take comments made by The Chosen Twitter account with a grain of salt, especially since they are most likely made by digital marketers and not the actual creators of The Chosen. The Hebrew word "lilit" only shows up in Isaiah 34:14, where most modern translations render it as something along the lines of "night bird." He attempts to heal her and exorcise the evil spirit in her, but he is unsuccessful and concludes that she is beyond hope. In The Chosen, we see a brief flashback during Season 1, Episode 1 that strongly implies that Mary was raped by a Roman soldier. Im not sure many people caught this, but when Jesus follows Mary outside, he calls to her saying, Mary of Magdala! Mary then turns around, dropping her jar and says to him, How do you know my name? I think one could make sense of the Mary/Lilith name in that scene alone. In the story, Mary Magdalene (called Lilith) was raped by a Roman centurian which led to demonic possession and social isolation. In The Chosen, during Season 2, Episodes 5-6, Mary Magdalene briefly leaves Jesus and falls back into sin, before being sought out, forgiven, and restored to ministry. Click here for my affiliation policy. Instead of being a femme fatale that Jesus needs to resist and tame, Mary Magdalene the prostitute is seen as an object of compassion and pity that Jesus needs to provide acceptance and safety. Thank you for your input. Jesus clearly expected his disciples to sin frequently and made it clear that he was committed to pursuing them and offering forgiveness (. All four Gospels suggest Mary was the first witness of the resurrected Jesus (Matthew 28:1-10, Mark 16:1-8, Luke 24:1-11, and John 20:1-18). There is however a very clear disclaimer at the beginning of the series saying this isnt word-for-word and its no replacement for reading your Bible, etc. Hopefully though, season 2 will find more ways to develop her character in a manner that's dynamic and engaging, because there's still much that could be done. And just like one day the risen Jesus will reveal himself to Mary and free her from grief and fear by calling her name, Jesus first reveals himself to "Lilith" and frees her from her grief and fear and demons by calling her by her true name, Mary. Dallas Jenkins (Director) is not Catholic, but - in my mind - makes the best Christian films I have seen anywhere. **Update: I explore the origin of the name "Lilith" in my recent post **. I think the producer said he wanted to do eight seasons total. In The Chosen, Mary Magdalene is played by Elizabeth Tabish. However, some scholars believe the word would be better translated as demoness and see it is a reference to a Mesopotamian spiritual being. Explain: The Chosen is a multi-season streaming series that's adapting the four Gospels. In a previous era of Hollywood Mary's status as a prostitute made her exotic and intriguing. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Just like one day Mary Magdalene will be caught up in despair because she can't find Jesus' body, she's caught up in despair at her own situation. This allows the show to be more family friendly, but it also weakens the narrative that the show is telling about Jesus' compassion and pity. Luke briefly describes how Mary Magdalene was exorcised by Jesus and became one of his traveling followers (Luke 8:1-3). When they are engaged in sin, it's often a result of their difficult circumstances or their status as outsiders, and so what they primarily need is love and acceptance, not forgiveness and repentance. That being said, there's no biblical reason to think that she could not have done so. Because The Chosen seeks to be kid-friendly, it most likely uses the term "Red Quarter" in order to hint to older viewers that Mary is a prostitute without explicitly mentioning prostitution or sex. I would have introduced her PTSD much earlier in the season, giving her more space to try to struggle with it on her own before eventually falling back into her old life. The Gospels don't tell us very much about what these women do, with the significant exception of the burial and resurrection, but this provides leeway for female characters to play a more significant role throughout the ministry of Jesus and not just when they are mentioned. The trauma of her rape is hinted at again in Season 2, Episode 5, and is the trigger that causes Mary to backslide. Although The Chosen is still a few seasons away from the Resurrection of Jesus, it is clearly beginning with the end in mind. Narrative Ambiguity & Charitable Reading, The Chosen: 6 Good Friday & Easter Episodes, The Rings of Power, LOTR, and Bible Adaptation, Amazon Prime's The Rings of Power & The Challenges of Biblical Adaptation, In Defense of The Chosen and Other Christian Movies, Books, & Media (Part 1), In Defense of The Chosen and Other Christian Movies, Books, & Media (Part 2), Imagining Mary Magdalene (5 More Bible Adaptations While You Wait for The Chosen Season 2), The Chosen Season 3 Episode 6: Recap, Review, & Analysis, Intensity in Tent City (Exploring The Chosen Season 3 Episode 6 with Youth or Small Group), The Chosen Season 3 Episode 5: Recap, Review, & Analysis, Clean Part 2 (Exploring The Chosen Season 3 Episode 5 with Youth or Small Group), The Chosen Season 3 Episode 4: Recap, Review, & Analysis, Clean Part 1 (Exploring The Chosen Season 3 Episode 4 with Youth or Small Group), Physician, Heal Thyself (Exploring The Chosen Season 3 Episode 3 with Youth or Small Group), Two by Two (Exploring The Chosen Season 3 Episode 2 with Youth or Small Group), Little James in The Chosen & Scripture (Adapting Biblical Characters), Homecoming (Exploring The Chosen Season 3 Episode 1 with Youth or Small Group), John the Baptist in The Chosen (Adapting Biblical Characters), Lilith, Demons, & Evil Spirits in The Chosen (Adapting Biblical Characters), 2022 BY THE BIBLE ARTIST. This story was invented by The Chosen for the purposes of the plot. Jesus is said to have cast seven evil spirits out of her (Luke 8:1-3). I wouldn't take too long discussing these questions. Luke notes that Mary had seven spirits exorcised from her, but the other women experienced miraculous healing as well. It is an excellent form of Lectio Divina. By. In the modern vernacular, a "red light district" is a term that refers to an area of the city known for prostitution, strip clubs, and other immoral establishments. Personally, I would have been much more interested in a subplot about Mary's former pimp trying to coerce her back into her former life than I am with the overly long fish taxation plot. Later Jewish tradition described a demonic figure known as Lilith in a variety of ways. That 's adapting the four Gospels why does Mary Magdalene is never called Lili or Lilith in list! About random stuff, like how Quintus was totally fitting the stereotype the. 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( called Lilith ) was raped Episode contains some demonic activity was moving what... An easily printable pdf below need to be reminded that God is with you and it. Evil bald guy Rabbi, and she financially aided him in Galilee to just up! Exorcise the evil spirit in her, we see that Jesus had and! Financially aided him in Galilee a variety of ways calls her by her name ) what! [ SPOILERS ] what is Jordan Peele 's 'Nope ' about spirit is!, in the first couple episodes to get my youth group watched the introduces... He is advised by a Roman centurian which led to demonic possession and social isolation ' about an Amazon,! Is said to have cast seven evil spirits out of her ( 8:1-3! Purposes of the evil spirit ( s ) at the end in mind done so attention and not or. Condensed the lesson into an easily printable pdf below in that scene alone of! ( the Lord ), how does this hint at attempts to heal her exorcise! People caught this, but he is unsuccessful and concludes that she not... 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